The movie, “Christmas on Mistletoe Farm,” is written and directed by Debbie Isitt and premiered exclusively on Netflix on November 22, 2022. The movie stars the likes of Scott Garnham as Matt Cunningham, Scott Paige as Beano, Kathryn Drysdale as Miss Ashley, Steven Wickham as the Town Crier, and more. The movie is a wonderful family watch as it captures deep and affectionate segments of the parents’ bond with their child and also conveys a very beautiful message. This warm family film follows the story of a single father named Matt Cunningham, who just lost his wife and currently lives with his five kids, namely Buster, Violet, Charlie, Rosie, and Lily. As he learns to raise the kids alone, one fine day, he plans to visit a rural village named Cobbeldon, which his father had left for him. He had been there for a break, precisely to think peacefully about a significant work pitch, and as he plans to go back to London, his kids and villagers come up with strategies and plans to change his mind. Little did he know that coming to the village was a step towards the adventurous journey that, in the end, uncovered the most vital and joyous truth of his life.
Spoilers Ahead
‘Christmas On Mistletoe’ Plot Synopsis: What Happens In The Movie?
The movie kicks off with a soft start, wherein you can see Matt preparing breakfast for his kids and serving them their desired eats. He’s a loving father, but being a single parent, he’s on the journey of learning and growing. Every day he tries not to be late dropping the kids off at school and getting to work. While leaving his place in a hurry, he receives a postcard, but he is already late for work and decides to open it at the office. As soon as he arrives at the meeting room of his workplace, he discovers his Boss being very precise about winning the next pitch they have to deliver to the Emblem House (their dream project); if this one goes wrong, they all might lose their jobs. This was a huge responsibility, and Matt being brilliant, charming, and handsome, the boss lady chose him to deliver it.
Matt was excited but equally tense and was trying to arrange his thoughts for the pitch. He then opens the postcard; that’s when he discovers that his father has left him a will, and to research it deeply, there is a provided link, and when Matt opens it, he’s in utter shock. The link depicted a peaceful sky and a vast property, and he couldn’t believe it was all in his name. Meanwhile, one of his colleagues gave him an idea: why doesn’t he visit this place to clear his mind and get all the peace and quiet he desperately wanted so that he could be well-prepared for the pitch? At present, he doesn’t seem that convinced by the idea. By the end of the day, when he reached home, he kept looking at the picture of the farm, wondering whether he should take the trip or not; at that exact moment, his kids came to kiss his father goodnight, coincidentally glanced at the picture, and convinced Matt to take them there to spend the Christmas holidays.
From the outset, the movie caters to a profound message about how difficult it can be for a father to raise his children without a mother. It also exemplifies how important it is for kids to have the equal contributions of father and mother. Soon, you can see Matt and the kids arriving at the rural place, and at the entrance, they meet a beautiful lady on a horse, with whom they are about to collide, but Matt talks his way out and enters the town. Matt had a difficult childhood; his father’s priorities included being in the town with the villagers, as they were in a financial crisis and didn’t have shelter to live in. Matt’s father didn’t want him and his mother to come along with him and suffer, so, unfortunately, he had to leave them without saying anything. So, Matt remembers nothing much about his father, but he sure works hard not to be like him. As they enter the house, they explore it with all their excitement, and they get introduced to their farmhand, Beano. He is indeed a hilarious person, and he was pleased about the arrival of the new owners. Later, Beano also meets Matt, taking them all to meet the villagers.
Matt Tries To Sell The Farm But…
Matt and all five children met the village members for the first time, and it was quite pleasing. People in the town were all happy to see them, and the kids enjoyed it too. The villagers had a spark of hope in their eyes as if Matt were there to save them all, and you’ll soon discover why they felt so! The community in the village was quite welcoming and treated them with compassion, and they even gave Matt an idea about letting his children learn in their village school, to which he instantly agreed. This movie perfectly portrays the community’s involvement in every kid’s life and how well it can influence it. It also shows that rather than just giving significance to school education, parents must also teach their kids about real-life lessons. As Matt experiences pressure from his Boss to draw a pitch, he finds out that a goat is about to give birth. He soon rushes, takes instructions from Beano, and calls the vet for the same, and the veterinarian is none other than the beautiful lady he met while he was driving towards the farm. There was a hint of a connection with her, but at that moment, paying attention to the pregnant goat was crucial. Watching the goat give birth to her offspring made Matt extremely emotional and made him miss the presence of his dad in his life, and that’s when Beano tells him how generous his father was and that he really loved him! He truly cared for the village members, and their wellness meant the world to him. Also, he told Matt that his father had missed him all these years, and every Christmas, he kept sending him a letter. To which Matt responded that he had never received a single letter and that perhaps it was all a lie. Matt wasn’t yet convinced by the thought of his father leaving him for the villagers! But he somehow overlooked the topic and concentrated on his work.
As time passed, Matt was not getting the peace he desired, so he planned to return to London, but his kids were unhappy after hearing this news. They loved the village environment, the people, and the tenderness they received; especially, they treasured the school there! So, they felt the urge to change Matt’s mind, and that’s when Beano and the five kids team up and plan to change Matt’s decision and make him consider staying there for a while. They begin their plan by distracting Matt with Beano’s tractor, which they thought he’d love to learn and drive, but well, it didn’t work! The next thing they try is, getting the beautiful lady and Matt to fall in love with the help of a tree’s leaves named Mistletoe! As asserted by Beano, Mistletoe is a magic plant that makes people fall in love, and their area is named after the same. But that didn’t work either, and on the other hand, Matt discovered a brochure with the contact details of a real estate company on it. Well, it’s pretty straightforward for the viewers to see what he was trying to do!
Matt thought about selling the farm because he didn’t feel connected to it or the people there, so for him, selling it and acquiring money was a safer option. He then sends a proposal letter to the real estate company, which the villagers get to know about from the town crier, who reads it to them, as he had been notified by the postman, who used to read every letter before giving it to the receiver. When the buyers visit the village to estimate their plans, Beano and the kids trouble the buyers by throwing eggs and leaving animals behind them, so they end up hating the place. Matt was unhappy about this as he had already signed the agreement letter, but for the villagers, it was good news that even though Matt had it signed, he didn’t pass it on to them. He then tries to contact other dealers, but with all this happening, he forgets about his pitch! Soon, Matt gets a call from his colleague saying that the Boss is on his way to the village to find out exactly what he is doing! As the boss lady enters, the villagers think she is their farm’s new buyer and protest for the same. After watching all this, Matt’s Boss becomes quite angry and leaves the spot; Matt tries to convince her, but instead, she fires him.
Matt is very frustrated with what happened, and while all this is happening, villagers inform Matt’s mother, who visits the town after all this drama. Matt blamed Beano for losing his job because it was his and the kids’ plan to trouble whoever came to buy the place. Poor Beano, who only intended well for the villagers, leaves the town with Matt’s signed agreement and pitch and heads to London to make everything right! He visits Matt’s office and reads a pitch written by Matt, and Matt’s Boss seems partially convinced and relieved. Beano also reached out to the buyers and told them to revisit the property.
‘Christmas On Mistletoe Farm’ Ending Explained – Did Mark Make Things Right With Beano? How Are Mark And The Town Crier Related?
Matt seems highly hurt by the things he has said to Beano. He talks about the same with his mother, and that’s when she tells him that, all these years, she had hidden all the letters his dad sent because he shouldn’t have false hopes of his father returning. Matt is in a dilemma after learning this, and that’s when he realizes that his father is not as bad as he had thought him to be. Later, Matt searches for Beano as he wants to make things right and decides to walk in his father’s footsteps by living in and taking care of the village his father adored instead of selling it. He also realizes that the way he talks to Beano is absolutely not fair and that his intentions are only pure. If Matt had sold the place, the villagers would have no place to be. Deep down, he had developed a soft spot for people in the town, and his children wanting to stay there was the cherry on top. Eventually, he acknowledged that the community of people there was very pure by heart, and it’s precisely the environment he must raise his children in! All these thoughts were changing his mind, and as he was in search of Beano, the villagers joined him too! Later, they could see Beano coming with the contractors. Excellent turn of events, but Beano had already given buyers the signed contract, so now that’s kind of an issue.
Later, all of them sit down to discuss the same; an older man who used to be an ex-attorney comes up with a detailed will that states that even if Matt wants to sell the farm, he can’t as long as he and the villagers are staying there. After discovering this news, all of them were immensely happy, and finally, they got rid of all their difficulties. As everyone heads out to enjoy the perfect night, an older man dressed in a Santa costume approaches them, to whom Matt says, “Oh, you are the town crier; I thought you were Father Christmas,” to which the old man patiently replies and makes him understand that what he is about to say might be hard for you to process, or maybe you won’t even believe it! Matt becomes all confused, and as the older man approaches him with the magical and powerful bonding symbol, the mistletoe leaves, he says, “He’ll indeed try to make up for all the Christmas he has missed!” Well, what? Yes, you read it right! The town crier is Matt’s father, who has been among them since Matt entered the village.
Matt was all surprised about what had happened at that instant. He thought that his father passed on the will to him after his death, but instead, his father was all well and alive! He planned all of this to bring his son down to the village, make him fall in love with the place and the people, and finally bring his family back together. Matt’s father asks him for forgiveness, and Matt truly wants to forgive his father and also wants to set an excellent example for himself in front of his kids, so he wholeheartedly forgives him and moves on with life. The film gives us a profound message: even parents sometimes make mistakes, but we must forgive them because, at the end of the day, they are humans, and nobody is perfect.
“‘Christmas On Mistletoe Farm” is a 2022 comedy drama film directed by Debbie Isitt.
